You can never find a home or an office without clutter. You can never eliminate clutter, but you can definitely reduce it to a tolerable limit. It is impossible to get rid of clutter fully. Many houses have unwanted things which we rarely have time to clear it. You need to realize that clutter actually increases your stress level and it indirectly reduces your potential and performance.

Here are some very simple tips which can guide you to reduce or get rid of clutters from your home.

1. Do not procrastinate: – One of the main reasons for accumulation of clutter is procrastination. It is human nature to postpone things thereby papers, files and all unwanted items get cluttered without your knowledge.

2. Make de-cluttering your habit: – Keep 10 to 15 minutes of your time daily for de-cluttering, and just ensuring if everything is in order. Remember not clearing your clutters for ages is like not shaving your armpit for ages. You will be stinking. Before you close your day in office, just check if everything is in order. Before you go for sleep, check if your room and house is in order.

3. Keep a place for everything: – One of the mantra to keep your house in order is “Keep a place for everything and everything should only be kept in its place”.

4. Manage by Exception: – If you keep your house in order, anything which is not in order will stand out from the ordinary. You can immediately fix it, and you should immediately fix it. Managing things by exception is more easy and simple.

5. Learn to be Ruthless: – Half of the world’s clutter is created mainly due to emotions and procrastination. Every item which is stored will have an emotional history attached to it and because of which, getting rid of it becomes a major problem. Be ruthless and get rid of clutter if you have the slightest feeling that it is not required.

6. Keep your storage space small:– If you have more space then you will naturally have more junks. Keep your space small to have less clutter and anything exceeding the storage space should be attended immediately, decision quickly taken, action immediately followed.

7. Clean the clutter magnets regularly:- What I call a clutter magnet is your clothes, shoes, Kids room, magazines, book cases, kitchen etc. These items and space need to be relooked regularly to ensure that there are no unwanted things hiding from your attention. They attract clutters more than thing else, so you need to keep special attention to these items.

8. Learn to Gift and Donate: – Anything which you have used, and do not require anymore should not be kept in your home or in office. You should gift or donate to someone who deserves it.

9. Just do it:– If you see anything cluttered just correct it then and there. If you find a piece of paper lying on the floor, a mail lying unattended, a shoe lying below the bed, just attend to it immediately.

10. Do not spend too much time: – Think it is a simple task and do it. Do not spend too much time in planning and even more time in execution. It just need a simple decision Yes or No, throw or retain. So do not spend too much time planning.

Remember de-cluttering is not an instant fix; it is a long term problem and you need to make it a habit. De-cluttering your home and work place can not only make you mentally strong, but can increase your confidence and performance level.